ADHD AWESOME

Supporting your child at home can be a huge challenge, particularly if you are working from home as well as looking after other children. Today, I put Crisis Mountain to the test.

My son was doing some school work and couldn't answer some of the questions. (He was at the bottom of the mountain.)

I suggested he go online to his tutor, who was available in a chatroom, to discuss the problem. He didn't want to do any online chats - he was adamant.

He began to get fractious and I could feel myself losing patience. (We were both starting to climb the mountain.)

I took some deep breaths and explained that I was unable to answer the questions and that if he didn't want to speak to the tutor then he would have to send the work in unfinished or try to solve the problem. I suggested he took a time out and then I walked away.

Ten minutes later he went back to his work and managed to complete it all. He was proud that he had solved the problem on his own and said that if he didn't get the answers right he would get feedback from his tutor, but at least he had tried.

Climbing Crisis Mountain can be swift and explosive but, if you can intervene in a calm and measured way then the response you get from your child should be the same. If we start to climb the mountain with them, match their tone, pitch and frustration, then the only way down is on the other side - for everyone.

As a parent/carer managing our emotions is, quite possibly, the most important lesson to learn. It can be done and you will reap the benefits.